Taking it With You-Adar Joy-Likkutei Eitzot

One should make strenuous efforts to attain joy in any way possible, searching within himself for those good qualities which lead to joy. At the very least, one ought to be happy at the privilege being born a Jew and not a pagan. This is surely a wonderful, unlimited, and unadulterated joy, for it is an act of God Himself. One should accustom oneself to proclaim joyfully, by word and in full heart, “Blessed is our Lord Who created us for His glory and separated us from those who stray.” Thus one can be in a state of joy throughout all his life no matter what befalls him.

Sometimes one must become jovial with frivolity and humor. Because of the many tribulations which man suffers, physically, psychologically, and financially, he usually cannot be happy without silliness, by playing the fool in order to be cheerful. The very vitality of body and soul depend upon this. in the upper worlds, too, a great “unity” is created through man’s jocular state of mind, namely, feeling joyous. (Likkutei Eiztot, Simcha #29)

“Blessed is our Lord Who created us for His glory and separated us from those who stray (U’va L’Tzion ),” should be sufficient to fill our lives with such joy.